Wrench.



PATENTED DEC. 1, .1903. B. MoNIEL.

WRENCH.

APPLIOATION FILED-JULY 17, 1903. no mofinL.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Wane 3M0 No. 745,369. PATENTED DEC. 1, 1903. B. McNIEL.

WRENCH.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 17, 1903. N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES Patented December 1, 1968.

PATENT OFFICE.

BENJAMIN MONIEL, OF HOOP, TENNESSEE, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF G. H. FRIAR,OF RALPH, TENNESSEE.

WRENCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 745,369, dated December1, 1903.

Application filed July 17, 1903. Serial No. 165.946. (N model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN MCNIEL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Hoop, in the county of Claiborne, State of Tennessee, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Wrenches; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit ap-' pertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to wrenches in general, and more particularly tothe class of ratchet-wrenches, although it will be understood from thefollowing description that the principle involved may be embodied in atool for a variety of purposes, such as for driving screws, applying andremoving nuts, operating drills, and for such similar purposes whererotary motion is to be given to a bit.

The object ofthe invention is to provide a construction which may beoperated with one hand and in which the spindle or shaft may be rotatedin either direction.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be understood fromthe following description.

In the drawings forming a portion of this specification, and in whichlike numerals of reference indicate similar parts in the several views,Figure 1 is a side elevation of a .tool embodying the present invention.Fig. 2 is a bottom plan View of the tool. Fig. 3 is a section on line 33 of Fig. 1 looking downwardly. Fig. 4 is a section on line 4 4: of Fig.1 looking rearwardly. Fig. 5 is a section on line 5 5 of Fig. 1 lookingforwardly.

Referring now to the drawings, the present tool comprises a main bodyportion 10, from one end of which extends a handle 11, said body portionhaving a transverse opening 12 therethrough, in the rear wall of whichis journaled one end of a shaft 13, which eX- tends longitudinally andforwardly of the body portion 10 and lies in the channel 14 in said bodyportion. At the front end of the channel 14 is a bearing 15, in whichthe shaft turns. At the free end of the shaft 13 is a chuck 16, whichmay be of ordinary form and is designed to receive a bit 17, which inthe present instance is shown as a wrench-bit, although it will be ofcourse understood that any other specific style of bit may be engagedwith the chuck, such as a screw-driver bit or a drill-bit.

Fixed upon the shaft 13 and lying in the opening 12 are tworeversely-disposed ratchetwheels 17 and 18, the hubs l9 and 20 of whichare extended toward each other, so that the toothed portions of thewheels are held in spaced relation. To rotate the shaft 13 in onedirection, one of the ratchet-wheels is operated, and to rotate it inthe opposite direction the other ratchet-wheel is operated, there beinga set of pawls for each ratchetwheel connected with a common lever andhaving means for shifting the setsof pawls interchangeably intooperative relation to their respective ratchet-wheels. The lever inquestion is a hand-lever, (shown at 21,)

which is pivoted to the upwardly-directed ear 22 at the front end of thebody portion 10. At opposite sides of the lever 21 are cars 23 and 24.,to which are connected the pawls. Pivoted to opposite sides of the ear23 are pawls 25 and 26, which extend downwardly and at their lower endsare curved inwardly toward the ratchet-wheels, the pawl 26 having a hook27 at its lower end for engagement with the ratchet-wheel 17 to rotatethe latter during the upward movement of the pawl, while the lower endof the pawl 25 is straight and is designed to engage the ratchetwheel 18during its downward movement to rotate the latter in the oppositedirection to the rotation of the ratchet-wheel 17 by the pawl 26, theconnection of these pawls to the ear 23 being sufficiently loose topermit of lateral swinging of the lower ends of the pawls 25 and 26 intoand out of engagement with their respective ratchet-wheelsinterchangeably.

Pivoted to the ear 24 are pawls 27 and 28,

of which the pawl 27 has a hookat its lower end for engagement with theratchet-wheel 18 during the upward movement of the pawl,

and the pawl 28 has a straight lower end for engagement with theratchet-wheel 17 during the downward movement of the pawl. hold thepawls yieldably inwardly to engage their respective ratchet-Wheels whenthey are in proper positions of their lateral adjustments', a helicalspring 29 connects the pawls from the lever 21.

at one side of the lever with the pawls at the other side. The pawls 27and28 have also sufficient lateral movement at their lower ends topermit them to be swung so that when one pawl is in engagement with itsratchet the other pawl will be out of engagement with its ratchet. Theinterspace between the toothed portions of the ratchet-wheels issufficiently broad to receive the inactive pawls.

Mounted upon the body portion is a shifting slide 30, the forward end ofwhich is held to the body portion by means of the transverse bolt 31,which engages in the corresponding slot 32 in said body portion, therear end of the slide having the arms 33 lying at opposite sides of thebody portion and extending rearwardly at their through the guides 34 atthe sides of the body portion. From opposite sides of the shifting slideproject loops 35 and 36, which inclose the pawls at the correspondingsides of the body portion, so that when the shifting slide is moved thelower ends of the pawls will be swung laterally therewith. A lever 37 ispivoted to the side of the body portion 10 and is connected, by means ofa link 38, with an arm 33 at the same side, so that when the lever isshifted the shifting slide will be operated to swing, the pawls 26 and28 into engagement with the ratchet 1,7 or the pawls 25 and 27 intoengagement with the ratchet 18.

A guide-loop 39 is provided for the lever 21, and with this constructionit will be seen that with one position of the pawls the ratchetwheels 17will be rotated at both the downward and upward movement of the lever 21by action of the pawls 26 and 28, and with the pawlsin the oppositeposition the ratchetwheel 18 will be operated by pawls 25 and 27 A stop39 is provided for extremities engagement by the shifting lever toholdit in either of its two positions.

In practice modifications of the specific construction shown may bemade, and any suitable materials and proportions may be used for thevarious parts without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is 1. A tool comprising a driven shaft,oppositely-disposed ratchet-wheels fixed upon the shaft, a pivotedlever, a pair of pawls for each of the ratchet-wheels pivoted one ateach side of the lever and adapted for active engagement with theirratchet-wheels alternately as the lever is operated, and means forshifting the pairs of pawls interchangeably into active relation totheir respective ratchetwheels.

2. A tool comprising a body portion, a driven shaft mounted in the bodyportion, oppositely-disposed ratchet -wheels upon the driven shaft, apivoted lever, a pair of pawls for each of the ratchet-wheels pivotedone at each side of the lever and adapted for active engagement withtheir ratchet-wheels alternately as the lever is operated, a shiftingslide mounted upon the body portion and having arms connected with thepawls for shifting the pairs of pawls interchangeably into activerelation to their respective ratchet- Wheels, means foroperating theshifting slide, and means for holding the shifting slide in differentpositions.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

BEN. MGNIEL.

Witnesses:

J. M. RILEY, J. A. COLEMAN.

